title: Viral antibody dynamics in a chiropteran host.
abstract: Bats host many viruses that are significant for human and domestic animal health, but the dynamics of these infections in their natural reservoir hosts remain poorly elucidated. In these, and other, systems, there is evidence that seasonal life-cycle events drive infection dynamics, directly impacting the risk of exposure to spillover hosts. Understanding these dynamics improves our ability to predict zoonotic spillover from the reservoir hosts. To this end, we followed henipavirus antibody levels of >100 individual E. helvum in a closed, captive, breeding population over a 30-month period, using a powerful novel antibody quantitation method. We demonstrate the presence of maternal antibodies in this system and accurately determine their longevity. We also present evidence of population-level persistence of viral infection and demonstrate periods of increased horizontal virus transmission associated with the pregnancy/lactation period. The novel findings of infection persistence and the effect of pregnancy on viral transmission, as well as an accurate quantitation of chiropteran maternal antiviral antibody half-life, provide fundamental baseline data for the continued study of viral infections in these important reservoir hosts.
authors.affiliation: Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, CB3 0ES.|Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK, NW1 4RY.
authors.forename: Kate S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Division, Forestries Commission, Accra, Ghana, PO Box 239.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suu-Ire
authors.affiliation: Australian Animal Health Laboratories, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Geelong, Vic, Australia, 3219.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80523.
authors.forename: David T S
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Hayman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA, 20814-4799.
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Broder
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Group, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Surrey, UK, KT15 3NB.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK, NW1 4RY.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durrant
authors.affiliation: College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, G12 8QQ.
authors.forename: Pablo R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Murcia
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK, NW1 4RY.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: Disease Dynamics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, CB3 0ES.
authors.forename: James L N
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002685:Chiroptera; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D045403:Henipavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D045464:Henipavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D007774:Lactation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Hendra virus; Luminex; Nipah virus; immune response; infection persistence; maternal immunity; paramyxoviruses; serology; zoonosis